Travel Collective

Summer in South Aussie

2010-09-22T21:49:00.000-07:00

We love South Australia, there's no denying it.

Why? you may well ask. Well, apart from stunningly beautiful scenery, whether it's brilliant azure coastline, native eucalyptus forest, rugged rocky ranges or outback plains, we've got the lot. Plus our favourite part, delicious food and wine! so much food and wine. And it's all world class, that's for sure.

So it's only natural that we'd want to share our proverbial backyard with you. This summer, we thought it was about bloody time we expanded our range of tours. So now, there's a sweet little lineup of active, adventure and even some more luxurious tours for you to enjoy.

And of course, there's always the Santos Tour Down Under, what a treat for cycling fans!

Come and visit South Australia... you won't want to leave.

New artwork for ROC Bus - thanks, Avanti!

2010-04-14T23:09:00.000-07:00

Great feedback from the Otago Central Rail Trail with Ecotrek!

2010-03-30T20:36:00.000-07:00

Travel Collective brand, Ecotrek, are specialists for partly- or fully-supported tours on the Otago Central Rail Trail.

With a bumper season in 2009-2010, we are already filling places for the 2010-2011 season!

Here is some great feedback from happy customers who have enjoyed leisurely cycling on the Rail Trail this season...

"Thank you for helping us to make the ride a very enjoyable experience, and we would have no hesitation in recommending you to other friends who may wish to do this trip in the future."
Lyndsay & Dervan, Wellington, NZ

"Just want to say thanks for everything. We had no hiccups and everything went well. Loved the accommodation. Weather was good... We just had a ball! Thanks!"
Jo, Levin, NZ

Outback preparations

2010-03-01T15:56:00.000-08:00

It's that time of year when Ben, our ROC Tours guru, is madly preparing everything to get ready for the Outback season. The ROC Bus is being primped and pampered, new bikes are just about to be delivered and all the gear is being sorted.

We're looking at a great season for ROC Tours this year, with several itineraries well and truly sold out already and others getting pretty close to...

There's still time to jump on board the Nullarbor, South West & Wineries Cycle Tour, which takes in the contrasting landscapes of the wide open Nullarbor Plain, and the towering treetops of the Karri forests in the South West, as well as pristine white beaches, National Parks and tempting wines.

24 hour madness

2010-02-12T22:46:00.000-08:00

Its official, Emma and I have signed up for the 24 hour Dirty Weekend MTB event... Now all that remains is to get that endurance fitness back on track. Most of what I have been doing of late relates to walking.. oh and sitting at a computer of course. Still I am sure that with our trusty friends from Avanti - (They provide our trusty steads) we will make it through, and if nothing else, we will have great bikes to ride!

We have been using Avanti bikes on all of our cycling tours across Australia they ROC..!

The event is run by Bicycle SA and it is a great 24 hour for anyone that is interested

And as you all know the Travel Collective has the best cycle tours around just have a look!

Peter

Borneo Jungle Longhouse Experience

2010-02-03T16:58:00.000-08:00

Experience the life and culture of the former Headhunters of Borneo, the Iban people, at Kuala Medalam longhouse, on our 21-day Borneo Wildlife & Culture Expedition.

Tour Down Under > YouTube Testimonials

2010-01-28T22:26:00.000-08:00

Check out this clip!

Tour Down Under > Quick Wrap!

2010-01-26T21:04:00.000-08:00

Well, we survived another week of action! The 2010 Santos Tour Down Under was a great success for the event organisers, the race itself and for all those who experienced it with The Adventure Collective.

As a quick wrap up, our team looked after a total of 178 people over the duration of the week! And did a most fantastic job of it at the same time.

Huge thanks go out to...

Ben: for his logistical genius and getting everyone to where they had to be at the right time!

Andy, Kate & Brianna: for being the best lunch crew ever, feeding hungry cyclists and spectators with delicious and wholesome food!

Sujai: for getting all the bikes safely to/from the big ride!

Emma: for being calm on the surface and paddling like crazy underneath!

And most of all, to our fearless leader, long-time TDU supporter and our constant motivator, Peter Solly.

Here's what some of our delighted customers had to say:

"Just a quick note before the daily grind wipes the smile off my face. Judy and I both want to thank you for making our Tour Down Under experience a fantastic one. For the second year in a row you delivered everything you promised and more!"
Ken & Judy, NZ

Snapshot: Tour Down Under

2010-01-24T16:57:00.000-08:00

Stage 6: Adelaide City Council Street Circuit
The final stage, won by young Aussie rider, Chris Sutton! Andre Greipel took the overall honours and the ochre jersey.

Snapshot: Tour Down Under

2010-01-23T16:28:00.000-08:00

Stage 5: Snapper Point to Willunga
Huge crowds gather on Old Willunga Hill for the King of the Mountain. The cheers for Aussie World Champ Cadel Evans were deafening!

Snapshot: Tour Down Under

2010-01-23T16:23:00.000-08:00

Stage 4, Norwood to Goolwa, plus the Mutual Community Challenge Tour
Our lunch set-up on Goolwa Oval!

Snapshot: Tour Down Under

2010-01-20T19:48:00.000-08:00

Santos Club Tour Dinner, Wednesday 20 January 2010
Adelaide City Council Tour Village

Club Tour participants were entertained by the international voices of cycling, Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwen, during the Club Tour dinner.

What a start to 2010!

2010-01-20T00:04:00.000-08:00

It's shaping up to be a great year!

Our Australian outback cycle tours (ROC Tours) are filling up fast, with the Gibb River Road - Mitchell Plateau and Gibb River Road - Bungle Bungles trips already SOLD OUT, Savannah & Kakadu Cycle Tour almost full and many other trips filling quickly.

Book now to ensure you get a place on the tour you want!

Also in Australia, the Santos Tour Down Under is in full swing, with Lance Armstrong and World Champion Cadel Evans leading the star line-up of professional cycle racing.

Across in New Zealand, the Otago Central Rail Trail season is going strongly, with more people than ever choosing Ecotrek for their rail trail supported or partly supported experiences.

Look forward to seeing you in 2010!

Is there something happening this week that I should know about?

2009-12-21T14:31:00.000-08:00

Oh yeah, it's Christmas. That time of year (again). The silly season. Great time to catch up with family and friends, talk about your travel plans for next year and rally up some crew for a holiday (you know you deserve one!).

It's also a time to think about how we can be better global citizens. Not that this shouldn't be on our minds during the rest of the year - but this is a time when, generally, we've got a bit of time to reflect and wind down.

On this note, if you're still stuck for Christmas pressies, and can't muster up the courage to brave the barrage of commercialism, tinny carols and frazzled shoppers, then have a look here for some great gift ideas that will contribute to our global community, such as this bicycle ambulance in Malawi.

New tours galore!

2009-12-15T16:04:00.000-08:00

As we've just launched our new website, we're constantly adding new travel experiences to give you so much more to choose from.

Coming to the web soon are these trips (we thought we'd give you a little sneak preview):

> Himalaya on Two Wheels: Ride a classic Royal Enfield Bullet motorcycle through the Himalayas, from Delhi back to Delhi, India.

> Bike the Andes: Cycle through the Andes mountain range, from Mendoza, Argentina to La Paz, Bolivia. It's not just cycling, though, with loads of great exploring and sightseeing to be had along the way.

> Trans Mongolian Railway: A must-do trip of a lifetime! from Beijing to St Petersburg, through China, Mongolia and into Russia. You won't forget this in a hurry.

Want to be the first to know? Contact us to make sure you get hold of a Fact Sheet as soon as they're available.

ROC Tours Gibb River Road - FULL in 2010!

2009-12-14T22:21:00.000-08:00

Already our popular ROC Tours Gibb River Road trips, both Bungle Bungles and Mitchell Plateau, are FULL for 2010!

But don't despair, as we've got a swag of great ROC Tours trips to whet your appetite.

Have yourself a little squiz here and see what other ROC Tours trips you can treat yourself with for 2010.

Ciao for now.

Have a Rail Trail adventure this New Year!

2009-12-13T18:05:00.000-08:00

The Otago Central Rail Trail is NZ's cycling secret. A wonderful cycling experience that takes in so much more of this stunning region on the South Island.

Spend three days cycling the famed Otago Central Rail Trail from Clyde to Middlemarch, staying in historic gold mining towns plus plenty of side-trips to visit some of the hidden secrets off the trail. The tour ends with true southern hospitality with a sumptuous celebratory lunch on a historic farming station before catching one of the world’s great train trips – the Taieri Gorge Train through to Dunedin. This tour is fully-supported; all accommodation, most meals and activities are included as is cycle hire. A pre-tour extension combining Queenstown and a day trip to Milford Sound is also available.

Limited places are available for our Wed 06 Jan - Sat 09 Jan 2010 departure.

Find out more about the Otago Central Rail Trail Adventure here, or contact us for more information!

Travel Collective on TV

2009-12-05T20:10:00.000-08:00

If you live in Australia, tune in to ABC's Midday Report on Monday 7 December 2009 for an interview with Travel Collective's CEO, Peter Solly.

The report looks at the effects of the Australian dollar and the global economic situation on a boutique tourism company.

For program details visit www.abc.net.au/tv/

New website to be launched!

2009-12-02T21:38:00.000-08:00

We've been slogging away at our new website, and we are stoked that the day is almost here that our new website, www.travelcollectivegroup.com will be launched!

It's never a simple task, but we're positive that the new layout, fresh look and feel and easy-to-navigate set-up will make planning your travel experiences a dream...